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GHIN'REST FOR 'THE DEAD. I No. 384,513. Patented June 12, 1888;

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UNITED STATES PATENT EFicE.

CARL B. DOLGE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CHIN-REST FOR THE DEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 384,513, dated June 12, 1888.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CARL B. DOLGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Chin Rests for the Dead, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devicesfor supporting the chin and lower jaw of persons recently deceased, and for keeping those parts and the mouth in their natural position until the parts become rigid and retain their natural position without artificial aid.

The improvement is hereinafter fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents the improved device applied to the head of a corpse. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device. Fig. 3 is an outside or under side view of the chin-plate and of that part of the device to which it is attached. Fig. 4 is an outside view of the plate that rests on the top of the head and of the part of the device to which itis attached.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

The apparatus consists of a frame, made, preferably,of'wire, and bent in such a manner that while its arms extend around the sides of the head back of the ears, its ends come under the chin and on the top of the head, respectively, as shown in the drawings. The frame is designated by the letter A, and is composed of wire so bent that its sides or arms B O are counterparts of each other. The arms B O are brought together at their lower ends,where they converge, as at D, and terminate in an eye, E, which receives the button F, that projects fromthe convex side of the curved'chin-plate G. 'The chin-plate can be attached at pleasure to the frame A, and detached by sliding the button F into or out of the eye E along the converging sides of the arms B O. The chin-plate is self-adjusting on the frame, since it is free to swing by the button F on the sides of the eye. The arms B O are expanded or bent outward laterally from the point D, where their lower convergence commences, so as to allow the arms to come around and under the jaws at each side of the face, forming the curved parts G G, and the arms are then bent inward at the points H H, so as to approach each other on converging lines to the upper end I of the frame, where the ends of the wire are provided with eyes J, which receive a button, K, that projects from the upper surface of a plate, L, which rests upon the top of the head. If desired, the wire can be welded together at its ends, so as to form a continuous piece, in which case the upper end of the frame is provided with an eye, J, to receive the button K of the plate L, as is represented in Fig. 4, where the upper ends of the arms 13 G of the frame are shown to converge in the same manner as at the lower part of the frame, and so allow the button K to be pushed onward to the eye J.

It will be observed that the combined arms B O, which compose the frame A, are bent transversely as well as laterally, so that the lower and upper ends of the frame are brought very nearly into parallel lines, so that the lower end comes under the chin of the corpse and the upper end over and upon the top of the head, where they and their plates respectively rest, in which positions they are firmly held by reason of the elasticity of the frame.

The sides or arms of the frame are practically concealed from the view of any one looking at the corpse from the front, since the arms pass under the ears and hair of the head at the points H H, and thence around toward the back part of the head on their way to the top of the head. The construction and arrangement of the apparatus, therefore, are such that no unsightly appearance is produced on the face or head of the corpse, and the ap paratus is almost wholly concealed from view as the corpse lies in a coffin or casket.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a chin-rest for the dead, the elastic frame A, composed of arms B O, bent transversely and laterally, and adapted to have its ends under the chin and on the top of the head and its sides to converge from the points H H, so as to passaround toward the back of the head, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL B. DOLGE. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

W. O. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

